Havent been on for a while. Lots going on! I hope everyone has been doing well and having LP!

So this is more of a how do you feel/what do you do question.

The other day I heard about this women who buys gifts for her pain management doctor and the nurses. She also has lunches sent to the office. To me, I almost see it as bribery if your not doing that for all your other doctors or even the receptionist who checks you in and out and makes your appointments.

Dont the drug reps do this same thing to butter up the Doctors?

They claim its because of how much a pain doctor risks to prescribe medication, but if I was the doctor I'm not so sure I would see it as only apprciation.

Maybe I'm just jaded.

I have thought about sending a christmas/haunaka(sp?) card to the office, but actually buying gifts seems different.

Hi, Freya,Nice to hear from you again! I actually read about a woman doing this, and I think it's a personal decision. Yes, the drug reps do it, and that's been criticized even in the medical journals of late, but I don't see our doing some of those things as patients in the same light.; the drug companies have way more power than we do - and anything that helps us get a little power in the health care system I think it ok! We're generally at the bottom of the list when it comes to power with doctors.

I would see it more as a token of appreciation. Kind of like when you get a thank you note from someone - you tend to remember that person in a good light in the future. I just wrote my physical therapist a thank you note/card because he and his staff were wonderful to me; he saw me at no charge for several weeks when my insurance had run out. If I had the money, I'd have sent something like a fruit basket.

Sometimes I don't think this is such a bad idea, but it would have to be authentic, I think, to work. Maybe goes under the heading you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar? So in some situations it may help, but maybe it's not everyone's cup of tea.

I agree with PAlady, it's not a bad idea to give a small token at Christmas time, Last year I gave my PM and PT a small fruit basket. Your supposed to tip the hairdresser and garbage men at Christmas time too. But, I do not give a doctor something after each appointment. I see this as a token of appreciation too.************************ * Asthma * Allergies * Osteoarthritis * Spinal Stenosis * Mild DDD * Enlarged Pituitary Gland * Fibromyalgia *************************Patient: "I always see spots with my eyes"Doctor: "Didn't the new glasses help?"Patient "Yes, now I see the spots clearer"

I am one of those patients who bring "gifts" to my PM's office. It is only coffee, but I go once a month, and have been a patient there since January of 2006, so I am not a new patient, but an established one. I do it only because I know that by 1 or 2 in the afternoon, everyone is getting a little tired and been running most of the day there, so if I happen to have an appointment, I will call and ask if they would like a cup of coffee.....if they say yes, I will pick it up and bring it.....There is no reason for me doing it, other than I like a cup in the afternoon too and I know that most of the employees there do as well.....SandiPLIF/TLIF Fusion w/Instrumentation L4-5 Spondololysthesis L4-5.Laminectomies L4-5, foraminal stenosis L3-4, L4-5, L5-S1, herniations L3-4, L4-5, L5-S1, central canal stenosis L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1

POST OP CES 3/30-06

Neurogenic Bladder and Bowel, bilateral numbness legs and feet

Revision for failed Back surgery, pseudoarthrosis L4-5, hemilaminectomies L3-4, L4-5, L5-S1, bmp added to revision fusion, replaced two bent screws that were reversing out of vertebrae - August 2, 2007

On going back pain and neuropathic pain, failed back surgery, consult for scs, decided not to do that at this point.

I'm talking about expensive gifts. Things that you would pay alot of money for...Maybe I didnt make that clear enough.I dont see anything wrong with small gestures of appriciation. LBut to me spending hundreds on gifts is something different.I see lunches that way because of the reps that use it to butter up the DR and thats how we have been taught to see it.Its just my opinion. I would be uncomfortable, but other people arent.

I think those gifts by patients are much more appreciated than those by the drug company reps. The patients are paying out of their pocket. The drug reps have the company pay for it, so there is a difference there. I think doctor's offices appreciate anything that comes their way. I know I did when I was in the health care field. I was an administrator of a large home care company and at Christmas I would receive gifts and food from reps and my employees. I always felt so grateful and honored, especially by the employees.

Just a thought. Have a nice day!

LindalooModerator Chronic Pain

Believe in yourself. Be kind to fellow humans and animals. Take time to smell the flowers and the coffee.

And by all means, when you are down, ask me for help. I will be there.

Freya,I would agree when it comes to expensive gifts. That would seem a little more like a bribe. But then it may be relative to one's income. Someone who's in a high income bracket may not see a "lunch" as expensive. Someone like me - well, I can't even afford the fruit basket, and so wish I could! But I think repeated lavish gifts probably are rare, at least they were for me in health care. The two gifts I really cherished from clients were both hand made, so to speak, and one I still use as it's a Christmas ornament. The other was a beautiful orchid grown by the woman. But I do think things like coffee or even a batch of cookies during the middle of a busy workday can be appreciated by health care professionals. We used to have it back in the lunch room to snack on all day, and we usually knew if some patient had brought it in, and that was viewed differently than the regular lunches from drug reps. And, by the way, I appreciated those even though I rarely got to sit down to eat it. It saved me valuable time and lunch money, as i could duck in and grab something to take back to my office to do more work!

I guess its all just different opinions, feelings and levels of comfortability.My husband swears its because were New Yorkers. I dont really know if I buy that. The fact that my docs arent very personable could be the reason I fee the way I do about certain gifts.

But I've defenitly never felt uncomfortable with the thought of a holiday card, hand made gift, coffee or something like a fruit basket or anything else for the whole office. I guess to me things that are small gestures seem more sincere to me than large gifts for each seperate person.

But I certainly make not judgements but just wanted to get other peoples view. I probably should have explained it more in depth in my initial post as to what I was talking about. I think everyone appriciates nice gestures and certainly after considering that some docs may be much more personable to what I'm used to, can more understand certain choices. But still for me I would feel uncomfortable giving expensive gifts.

But this is all just my own feeling, nothing ment to offend anyone so I hope no one got that sort of idea as it defenity wasnt intended to do that.